In April, retail sales, including sales of motor vehicles, increased by a significant 21 percent year-on-year, and even without the inclusion of the car segment, they increased by 7.5, resp. after adjusting for seasonal effects by 7.4 percent. The stores with clothing and footwear improved the most compared to last April, with their sales increasing by 80 percent, the Czech Statistical Office (CSO) informed on Tuesday.
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The result of retail trade is distorted by last year’s and this year’s anti-pandemic closures, which concerned trades in non-food products. Last spring, their operation was severely limited due to anti-epidemic measures, but even this year, many of them could not open until 10 May. As early as mid-April, however, they were able to open children’s clothing and footwear stores, where many people went immediately afterwards.
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According to the CZSO, the expansion of online sales also helped a number of stores. Czechs’ spending on non-food goods rose by 14 percent year on year in April, on fuel by 13.1 percent, and on food, on the other hand, by 1.3 percent. Revenues from the sale and repair of motor vehicles increased by 67.1 percent year-on-year. According to economists, there was a strong catching up in deferred demand in this area as well.
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The growth of e-shops has temporarily slowed down
Sales also increased in stores with computers and mobile phones (by 30.6% year-on-year), with products for culture, sports and recreation (by 20.7%), with cosmetic and toilet goods (by 18.8%), with pharmaceutical and medical goods (by 11.2%) and household products (by 1.4%).
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Internet shops, which have been the most significantly growing part of retail trade in recent months, grew “only” by 14.2 percent year on year in April. “Even so, we definitely do not depreciate online sales in the coming months. The current significant growth in a number of specialized stores is only temporary – fueled by the realization of deferred demand. After a few months, it will slow down again, “said economist Markéta Šichtařová.
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She pointed out that e-shops grew by more than 10 percent before the coronary crisis, during which online sales strengthened significantly. According to Šichtařová, after the current slight slowdown, the rapid growth of e-shops will continue. “Further easing of bans will bring further impetus to retail overall. The effect of the realization of deferred demand will be visible after the opening of stores until the summer, “the economist is convinced.
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According to Jiří Polanský, an analyst at Česká spořitelna, strong growth in retail sales should continue. According to him, many households have savings from last year, part of which they will use for deferred purchases.
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Compared to March, seasonally adjusted sales excluding cars increased by 0.7 percent in April. Revenues from non-food goods increased by 2.8 percent and from fuels by 1.7 percent. By contrast, food spending fell 2.4 percent.
Revenues from the sale and repair of motor vehicles increased by two percent month-on-month.
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